Toffee Pretzel Peanut Butter Cookies

You are in for a sweet and salty treat today. There is a good chance that these are baking in my oven even as you read this guest post from Chef Dennis; I think my jaw hit the floor when I opened up the email containing it. Thank you Dennis for bringing the cookies today!

When I was first got the email from Katrina about her idea for December, I thought it sounded like fun!How could you say no to an idea that featured cookies all month long!So thank you Katrina, for inviting me to your month long party at In Katrina’s Kitchen, and thank you so much for letting me kick off the series of guest bloggers that will be gracing your blog this month!

For those of you that don’t know me, I’m Chef Dennis and it’s my great pleasure today to be here with you today and share a new cookie recipe with you.I have to start out by saying that while I’m not really a baker, it is something that I truly enjoy doing.While I have made my fair share of cakes and pies, cookies are one treat that has eluded me.I do have my one go to cookie, courtesy of Alice Medrich, but I’ve pretty much beaten that one into the ground this year, and I knew I needed to expand my cookie repertoire.I started going through my cookbooks looking for inspiration, there were so many wonderful cookies to choose from, but in the end I decided upon a cookie that I had seen in my wife’s December edition of Real Simple.The cover of the issue simply stated “30 impressive make-ahead cookies”and as I looked through the magazine, nothing really grabbed me and then I turned the page to the last cookie, and there it was…….sighIn all its peanut butter glory, looking at me……just begging to be baked.

The initial recipe was for Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies, but the picture showed a variation that tasty little cookie, that included broken pretzels and heath bar pieces!Need I say more?It was a no brainer, I mean how could I resist Toffee-Pretzel Peanut Butter Cookies!

Now these cookies were positively delicious!Being a novice cookie baker I did a few things wrong,1) I made the cookies a little too big 2) I overcooked them slightly because they looked too puffy and not done 3) I didn’t think it mattered about moving them onto a wire rack…sigh

Ok, they were still delicious, just a little crunchier than I think they should have been, and you can see by picture how they cracked a bit.I think not cooking them quite as long would have eliminated some of the cracking.Next time I would refrigerate the dough prior to flattening them too, I don’t know if it would help but it sounds like a good idea.All I can say is a little crunchy they were perfect for dipping in milk, and since I brought the cookies, you can bring the milk!Thanks so much for stopping by today, have a very cookielicious day!

Allow to cool slightly on the rack and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Source: Real Simple, December 2011 Issue

Click image to see all of the cookies shared.

Thanks again, Chef! Aren’t you all glad that he challenged his comfort zone and brought the cookies today?! He’s normally wowing us all with things like Chicken Venetian, Pumpkin Crunch Cake, and Eggnog Gelato. Okay, now will someone please pass the milk?

35 Responses to “Toffee Pretzel Peanut Butter Cookies”

Katrina…that is a good one and sinfully decadent too 🙂 Chef Dennis gave us the christmas cookies in advance. I would definitely baked this for christmas 🙂 Thanks for starting this . " I will bring the cookies series " Now I can drop by every day to feast on your guest's cookies . Briliant idea to start this cookies series 🙂

Chef Dennis…thank you for sharing this early christmas cookies…now you have me drooling over the keyboard ! :p
My recent post Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread

These really sound fabulous. I always love to visit here. I never leave empty handed. I know my family will love to see these on the holiday cookie tray. I hope you have a great weekend. Blessings…Mary

I made these today and they are sooo good! I ate too many though and then had to go do my Pilates! They are hard to form into balls and I found they crack a little when pushing them down before putting into the oven, but they taste so good, who cares what they look like at this point? Thanks for the recipe!

Hi Katrina, I wanted a really good peanut butter cookie recipe than I came across yours. However I did change things up a little. But my question is. May I add your web site to my blog. So other bloggers may get the real recipe to your wonderful cookies. I look forward to your reply.